Automatic winding machine



Oct. 24, 1939. WEIMER 2,177,311

AUTOMATIC WINDING MACHINE Filed June 8, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet l [/7 var/0r Oct. 24, 1939. G] A EIM R 2,117,311

AUTOMATIC WINDING MACHINE Filed June 8, 1957 3 SheetsSheet 2 ATTORNEY 5.

Oct. 24, 1939.

G. A. WEIMER ,311

AUTOMATIC WINDING MACHINE Filed June 8, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 g I g lllllll' 2y 5,

Patented Oct. 24, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE Claims.

I This invention relates to apparatus for automatically winding thread on bobbins or spools.

The primary object of the invention is to provide apparatus whereby bobbins or spools will 5 have the thread wound thereon, broken at the completion of the winding operation upon a particular spool and automatically applying the thread to another spool or bobbin without manual operation thereby saving wastage and also insuring a clean and uniformly wound spool or bobbin.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus embodying these general characteristic features which will be simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and carry on and which shall be eflicient in operation.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in winding thread upon a spool or bobbin, causing said spool to move in a definite direction as the winding operation upon that spool is completed, then'moving an empty spool into engagement with the thread and causing said thread to start winding upon said empty spool and breaking the thread between said empty spool and said completely wound spool, completing the winding upon said second spool and then moving the same away and bringing another empty spool into engagement with the thread for the purpose of applying the thread to said last mentioned spool and breaking the thread between said last mentioned spool and the filled spool next adjacent.

The invention consists also in certain novel features of construction and in the arrangement or combination, all of which will be fully de- 335 scribed hereinafter and set forth in the appended claims.

' In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this application, Fig. l is a vertical sectional view, with parts in elevation, through a 40 machine constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof; Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a view in elevation showing the development of the cam; and Fig. 5 is a sec- 45 tional view through one of the empty spools and mounting spindle.

Describing the various partsby reference characters, l denotes a suitable base from which rises an upright 2. Jo-urnaled in the upper end of up- 50 right 2 is a rotating head denoted generally at 3 which is preferably cylindrical in shape and closed at one end by an integral wall 4. A hub 5 projects from the central portion of wall 4 and such hub is reduced in diameter to form a sleeve 6 55 which projects through a bearing 1 formed on upright 2. The outer end of sleeve 6 has keyed thereto a sprocket wheel 9 or other suitable driving element, while the opposite end of the rotating head 3 is normally closed by a plate Ill having suitable bearings therein to be referred to hereinafter.

A shaft I2 is journaled in sleeve 6 and also in a bearing l3 formed in plate In, and the outer end of this shaft is fitted with a pulley 14 or other suitable driving element which is connected by a belt l5 with an electric motor 16 or other source of power. A driving gear I! is mounted on shaft l2 and is disposed within the hollow rotating head 3. This gear is meshed with a plurality of gears (in the present instance four in number) which are indicated at l8, i9, 20 and 2|, each of which is journaled on its respective shaft 22, 23, 24 and 25, such shafts being journaled in suitable bearings formed in end wall 4 and cover plate I0. Each of these shafts is fitted adjacent its outer end with a collar 21 that is retained in position by a set screw 28 and also with a. plurality of longitudinally disposed spring fingers 29, while at its inner end each shaft is formed with a clutch member 39. The aforementioned collars 21' prevent longitudinal movement of the shafts, while the spring fingers 29 are adapted each to receive thereon a bobbin or spool 3| on which the thread is adapted to be wound.

Disposed in operative relation to each clutch member 30 is a second or cooperating clutch member 32 which is mounted on a sleeve 33 that is splined to its respective shaft. A coil spring 35 is interposed between each clutch member 32 and a threaded bushing 36 which is screwed into the end of the bearing portion found in the wall 4, such bushing serving to regulate the tension on its respective spring 35 that normally tends to engage the aforementioned clutch members. The outer end of each sleeve 33 is threaded to receive thereon a collar '38 and a lock nut 39, the collars being adjustable on their respective sleeves for a purpose to be'referred to hereinafter.

A substantially circular support 40 surrounds the main bearing in upright 2 and this support has bolted thereto a cam plate 4| which is formed with depressed portions 42 and 43 that are adap ed to be engaged by the aforementioned collars 33.

In operation, an empty spool or bobbin 45 is placed on the end of the shaft 22 or 23, such spool or bobbin being retained thereon by the aforementioned spring fingers 29. Motor I6 is started which rotates shaft l2 and gears il', 3'

i9, 20 and. 2| thereby driving each of the shafts 24 and 25, shafts 22 and 23 being disconnected through clutch members 30 and 32. In this connection it will be noted that cam 4| is so shaped that engagement thereof with collars 38 normally retains the clutch members disengaged, and such clutch members engage to drive their respective shafts only when the rotating head 3 has revolved to permit the collars 38 to engage depressed portions 42 or 43. When a collar 38 registers with either of these depressed portions, the appropriate spring 35 moves the sleeve 33 longitudinally to permit the clutch member 32 to engage the clutch member 30, thereby rotating the shaft. The particular periods of rotation of each shaft and spool or bobbin thereon, is indicated by the dot and dash lines 49, 49 and 53, 59 in Figs. 2 and 3. A suitable source of power is also connected to sprocket 9 so as to rotate such sprocket and head 3 a quarter revolution at predetermined time intervals. In Fig. 2 I have shown the manner in which the head 3 may be given a quarter revolution at predetermined time intervals, such means comprising a continuously rotating shaft 5! connected by a Geneva movement to the shaft 52, said movement comprising a crank disk 53 having a pin 54 thereon adapted to enter the slots of a star wheel 55 securedto the shaft 52, the shaft 5| being provided with a lock ing disk 55 preventing the rotation of the shaft 52 while the pin 54 is disengaged from the slots of the said wheel. Power is transmitted from the shafts 5! and 52 to the shaft [2 bymeans of a sprocket 51, chain 58 and the sprocket 9. i

The apparatus is particularly advantageous in connection with the winding of thread or yarn used in the manufacture of rayon. It will be noted that the head 3 completely encloses the gears ll-ZI, the major portion of the shafts 22-25, the springs 35, and the parts which are liable to be injuriouslyaffected by the vapors arising from the tank in which the thread or yarn is treated. The length of the spindles or shafts 22-25 enables the spools to overhang the tank, thereby permitting convenient access of the threads or yarns to the spools, the tank being located immediately adjacent the base I, which may extend from a vertical wall of said tank.

As the first empty spool or bobbin reaches its lowermost point of travel, the thread 46 (Fig; 2) having been connected thereto, is Wound thereon by the rotary movement of such spool or bobbin as previously described. After a predetermined time the spool or bobbin is wound full or to the desired extent, the rotary head makes one quarter revolution so that the complete spool occupies the position A, Figs. 1 and 2. During such movement of the head however, the spool does not rotate. Meanwhile another empty spool has been placed on the next shaft and this empty spool then moves to the position B (Figs. 1 and 2). Due to the stickiness of the moist thread being wound the empty spool will pick up the thread at this point and wind the same. In case the thread being wound does not possess sufficient adhesive qualities to be picked up by the rotating empty spool, it will be necessaryv to apply a coating of adhesive to the periphery of the spool. Due to the rotary movement of empty spool B in the direction of arrow 4! and the rotary movement of spool A (by virtue of cam 43) in the direction of arrow 48, the thread will be broken between these two spools and spool B will be wound with thread. As the head Imoves another quarter revolution, collar 38 rides out of depression 43 and the completed spool or bobbin stops rotating. This operation continues automatically, the operator merely removing the completed spools and substituting empty spools therefor. It is thus apparent that the winding will continue automatically and the machine can be operated by an unskilled operator.

The construction of the clutch mechanism contributes to the ability of my mechanism to break the thread between the spools in positions A and B, permitting sufficient slippage between the members 30, 32 to enable the spool in position B to wind at least one turn of the thread 46 thereon before the thread between the spools A and B is tensed to its breaking point.

The drivinggears for the spools are enclosed in the rotating, head which may be filled with lubricant to insure quiet and efficient operation.

, It. will of course be understood that I have shown and described only one embodiment of my inventive thought which can be carried out in a number of different ways. It will also be understood that the method can be carried out upon one spool or bobbin or simultaneously upon a number of spools or bobbins, the fundamental idea being the winding of the thread upon a spool and transferring the thread to the next spool and then breaking the thread in between the two spools, leaving the completely wound spool and continuing the winding operation upon the next-spool. It will also be understood that these operations can be accomplished by turning the head intermittently or there can be a continuous slow movement and furthermore that instead of moving the spools from one position to another the thread could be carried from one spool to another.-

the said head, a gear on said shaft within said head, a gear on each of the first mentioned shafts also located within said head and meshing each with the gear on the last mentioned shaft, each of the second mentioned gears being provided with clutch mechanism for operatively connecting the same with and disconnecting the same from its shaft, means for detachably connecting a spool to the forward end of each of the first mentioned shafts, means located at the rear of the said head for rendering the clutch mechanism for each of the first mentioned shafts successively operative and inoperative, and means for rotating said shaft with a step by step movement.

2. Thread winding mechanism comprising a rotatable carrier, a pair of shafts projecting from said carrier, means for detachably connecting a spool to each of said shafts, driving means, clutch members for connecting each of said shafts with said driving means, means for imparting a stepby-step movement to the said carrier thereby to move the shafts and the spools thereon to successive stations in the path of travel of said carrier, means locatedat one of said stations for enabling the clutch members of the shafts moved thereto by said carrier to connect said shafts with said driving means, thereby to rotate said shafts and to initiate the winding of thread upon the spools moved to said station and to substantially fill the said spools with thread, and means located at the next station for enabling the clutch members of the shafts moved thereto by the said carrier to connect these shafts with said driving means thereby to continue the rotation of said shafts and the spools thereon and thereby to effect a tension on the thread extending between the spools located at the said stations sufficient to break such thread. i 3. Thread winding mechanism comprising a rotatable carrier, a pair of shafts projecting from said carrier, means for detachably connecting a spool to each of said shafts, driving means, clutch members for connecting each of said shafts with said driving means, circumferentially spaced stations to which the said shafts and the spools thereon are moved by the rotation of said carrier, a cam at one of said stations for enabling the clutch members of said shafts to operate, thereby to establish a driving connection between the said driving means and the shafts brought to said station by said carrier, thereby to wind thread upon the spools on the said shafts, means for thereupon moving the said carrier to bring the shafts and the spools thereon to the other station, a cam at said other station for enabling the clutch members of the shafts brought thereto to operate, thereby to establish a driving connection between the last mentioned shafts and the said driving means, thereby to effect further rotation of the shafts and the spools thereon and thereby to effect a tension upon the thread extending between the spools at the two stations sufficient to break the thread.

4. Thread winding mechanism comprising a support, a rotatable hollow head journaled on said support, a plurality of shafts mounted within said head and projecting forwardly and rearwardly therefrom, a shaft extending into and journaled within the said head and a gear on said shaft within said head, gears on each of the rst-mentioned shafts also located within said head and meshing with the gear on the second mentioned shaft, each of the second mentioned gears being provided with clutch mechanism for operatively connecting the same with and disconnecting the same from its shaft, means for detachably connecting a spool to the forward end of each of the first mentioned shafts, circumferentially spaced cams located at the rear of said head and arranged to enable the clutch mechanism for each of the first mentioned shafts to operate to establish a driving connection between each of said shafts successively and the said driving means, thereby to efiect the rotation of said shafts by the second mentioned shaft, and means for rotating the second-mentioned shaft with a step-by-step movement, thereby to bring the first mentioned shafts and the spools thereon successively in operative relation to the said stations and the cams located at said stations.

5. In the combination recited in claim 4, means for initiating the winding of the thread upon the spools on each of the first mentioned shafts when brought in operative relation to one of the aforesaid stations, and means for imparting additional rotation to the said shafts and to the spools thereon when brought in operative relation to the next succeeding station.

GEORGE A. WEIMER. 

